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Do you prefer english or pistol grip stock on a shotgun. (over&under)

Pistol grip all the way for me.

Never could get used to the feel of a straight stock, and don't much care for their looks either.

Others might see it differently, but I've passed up some great deals on guns that had straight stocks.

+1

I had always hunted with a pistol grip shotgun until a few years ago I bought a Remington 1100 20 gauge special field with english stock. I quail hunted with that gun only for a couple of years. I can say that I was faster with that gun than any of my pistol grip shotguns and really liked the english stock. I think it has to do with the fact that your hand can slide back and forth on the grip as you mount the shotgun (kinda of a guess on my part).

I liked the gun so much that I bought a new 11-87 20 gauge upland special with english stock. I have not shot this gun yet but also like the feel of it.

Last year I switched to using a Franchi 28 gauge with pistol grip and was able to kill birds with it just fine and have been able to switch back and forth between different grips.

Dink

Years ago as I fell in love with a straight stock OU browning a well meaning guy warned me that yes they look and feel nice.
But are harder for most guys to shoot well.
Therefore the lack of popularity.

Never did buy it. Bugged me every since.

Was that opinion, in general, true?

Personally , I LOVE English stocks on my guns!
However, my O/U's are all pistol grips or Prince of Wales.
I shoot my SXS English stocked guns far more.
Never had a problem shooting them....
Cat

I like the Citori Lighting, round know stocks with the rounded forearm.

I was interested in the english so I took the original stock off my 870 wingmaster made an english stock for it. Worked well & I have never changed it back to the original pistol grip. I also bought a 20 guage Browning o/u english stock for my daughter & it was a dream. She took it with her when she moved to TX. Tried to get her to let me bring it back this year, No! she thought she would keep it.

The english doesn't position your hand in the same place each time like a pistol grip is probably why it is harder for some to shoot. I liked it. Now I normally shoot pistol grip 12 guage o/u Browning lightning, Benelli Montre Feltro, Model 12's but pull out the 870 english now & again.

I certainly wouldn't be afraid to buy a Browning o/u with english if I run across one for good price. Recommend trying it if you have an interest in them.

I like the pistol grip stock. It fills the hand better. My Ruger Red Label 12 gauge handles and shoots very well.

I'm kind of in the middle. I don't like the looks or feel of an Enlish straight grip stock, but feel "confined" by a full pistol grip. I much prfer the semi-pistol grips found on early American doubles such as the L.C. Smith and A.H. Fox shotguns.

Most of my experience is with side-by-side doubles as I also could never really grow to like the upper-and-lowers as well (only owned a few). The few I have tried, I much prefer the more open, laid-back style pistol grip as opposed to a more tight competition style.

like many, mostly a SxS shooter and don't have enough experience cosistently shooting each type one after the other to really do a good comparison but will say that I shoot my straight gripped A grade Fox lights out. i always attributed it to better overall fit then grip... and I do believe that to hold true.

As for O/U, I shoot my full P/G Red Label like junk... need to get around to selling it... I have put enough boxes of shells through it to know I just don't shoot it well... I would like to find a straight gripped 28 gauge Red Label to try for a while...

I prefer English stocks on any upland shotgun although I can't always get what I want. The reason is dog handling. English stocks are easier to carry one-handed, which happens a lot directing a dog. I spend a lot of time with the shotgun butt supported by my hip with the other hand free for signals, whistle, collar transmitter, accepting retrieves, etc. The grip angle just works better for me.

However, the trump card for me is still weight. If the choice comes down to a medium weight English stock shotgun or a light weight with a pistol grip I'll go with the latter every time.

Pistol grip with 1 trigger, straight with 2.

EXACTLY!

Pistol grip with one trigger and straight grip with double triggers so that hand can move when going for that second trigger.

The real reason for a straight stock is to make your forend hand do the pointing, which is how one naturally would point with their finger. It gives your trigger hand less input. Which reduces the tendency to see-saw the barrels. For it to work best you best have your length of pull almost spot on.

The sliding of your finger from the first to second barrel is secondary if not myth.

I have a bunch of very nice shotguns and have been shooting for almost 50 years. I prefer a straight grip on SxS doubles, all of mine have two triggers. I like a pistol grip, of some type on my O/U double guns. I also prefer pistol grip on my semu-autos and pump guns.

A straight grip, to me, is like a sports car or a -- I won't say, might start a sniper rifle thread. I also like two triggers, very dependable and choke selection can actually be made on the shot. A game gun with a pistol grip is somehow just not "right". Further, I really like a rhomboid shaped grip as it seems to orient the gun beautifully during the mount.

There are so many times in life where opinion has such serious consequences, it is fun to like something, just because.

Love the looks of the straight grip guns, but I shoot better with a pistol grip.

[quote=TexasRick]
"I'm kind of in the middle."
"I much prfer the semi-pistol grips found on early American doubles such as the L.C. Smith and A.H. Fox shotguns."

Feel the same way.

A very close second would be the superimposed, just seems to fit me well.

My 16 ga frame sterlingworth just feels right to me.

I do tend to like the full pistol grip when it comes to heavy kickers though.

Depends on what the intended use for the shotgun is going to be for. For high fast overheads I love the straight grip. Even for upland hunting I lean to the straight grip. For sporting clays, trap, skeet, and fliers I like a pistol grip.